Gniazdów – Hilly Landscape, Hiking Trail and Mariavite History

Gniazdów combines a hilly landscape with a long hiking trail, a horse trail project and a distinctive Mariavite history. This gives you several points of interest to consider when planning your trip: you can explore the Szlak Żarecki as a hiking option, learn about local church history, or discover places in the surrounding area.

Landscape and hiking trail

Gniazdów lies in a hilly landscape, with elevations reaching up to 380 m above sea level. If you enjoy walking, the yellow Szlak Żarecki hiking trail starts here; it is also designated as Cz–1010. The trail is 21 km long and runs from Gniazdów through Koziegłowy, Miłość, Kuźnica Nowa, Lgota Nadwarcie, Żarki Letnisko, Koza, Żarki, Leśniów and Przewodziszowice. Its length and route give you a concrete framework for planning your day; you can make the trail a focus of a stay that includes hiking.

The places named along the route make it easy to follow the course of the Szlak Żarecki: it begins in Gniazdów and passes through a series of other named stops before reaching Przewodziszowice. If you are interested in this hike, you can factor the 21 km into your plans as a continuous route. The landscape and the trail are two distinct aspects of a stay: the hilly surroundings shape the character of the place, while the trail offers a specific option for an active day.

Horse trails and outdoor activities

Another equestrian feature is the T.R.E.C. course in Gniazdów. It was built in 2015 and is part of an intermunicipal horse trail project involving the municipalities of Koziegłowy, Poraj and Żarki. The course is open to the public and free of charge. It adds another type of experience to the hiking trail: while the Szlak Żarecki is marked as a yellow hiking trail, the T.R.E.C. course is connected with the horse trail project. If you like to take different interests into account when choosing a destination, Gniazdów offers both a named hiking trail and this equestrian attraction.

Mariavite history and church tradition

Mariavite history is closely linked to Gniazdów. The Mariavite parish of Koziegłowy, based in Gniazdów, received state approval to operate on 2 (15) February 1909. The parish in Gniazdów is considered the present-day centre of Mariavitism in the Silesian and Lesser Poland Voivodeships; its branches are in Koziegłowy and Kraków. This connection also makes the place interesting to travellers who want to learn about religious history and church traditions.

The Mariavite Church of Mary Magdalene in Gniazdów is listed in the municipal register of monuments. The school in Gniazdów has a tradition of staging Nativity plays on Epiphany, 6 January, in both the Roman Catholic Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Mariavite Church of Mary Magdalene. On 6 January, the school takes its Nativity play tour to churches in Mzyki and Gniazdów. This means that two churches in Gniazdów are associated with this school tradition, while the tour also includes Mzyki.

More places to explore and travel ideas

Nearby stood Koziegłowy Castle, between Koziegłowy and Gniazdów. Its foundation remains can be seen behind “Kamionka”, on the other side of the DK road. For visitors interested in history, this adds another trace of the past in the area to the church-related sights.

The “Z Kopyta” Festival for Horse and Music Lovers brings together several interests: horses, music, motorisation and entertainment for the whole family. The seventh edition was announced for 8 and 9 August 2026 in Gniazdów near Koziegłowy; the announcement described this combination of themes. As the stated event dates have already passed, the festival is included here as part of Gniazdów’s events profile, not as a future event.

If you would like to discover other places in this selection, you can also find Gorzków Stary, Przybynow, Koziegłowy, Lgota Górna, Żarki, Żarki-Letnisko, Myszków and Niegowa.

Back to the main travel overview: Myszków.